The second clue comes from the background in the other direction. As Xiao Rong enters and leaves the property, we catch a glimpse of the roof of a property behind. It's quite a distinctive roof and, thankfully, is still around today. It belongs to the former "Air House" located at 1a Cornwall Street (the same building that was captured on camera in this post).
Sadly the property at #20 has changed significantly over the years and it was just recently demolished and completely rebuilt into a new building. What's interesting about this place, and you may already know this if you ever read my old, now deleted, history blog, is that it was the private house of infamous heroin kingpin, Ng Sik-ho aka "Limpy Ho".
Coincidentally (or not), Ho was convicted for his crimes in 1975, the same year this film was made, so it's quite possible the house was available for filming once it had been examined by the people investigating his crime. I have no idea who owned it at the time. In a later incarnation it was turned into a "Love Motel" (called the Kent Motel, I think?, the Chinese name was 根德小築) much in the same way as Bruce Lee's old house was. The owner basically filled in all the open spaces of the property (that can be seen in the screecaps) and turned it into a big rectangular block with maximum interior space (for max profits/usage) and operated it until around the time that COVID hit. Following its closure the building was demolished and redeveloped.
The house at the rear is 1a Cornwall Street
4 comments:
Nicely found, Phil. I seem to recall TVB filmed here a couple times at least during the mid-to-late 1970s, though I didn't manage to locate it then. Actually, it might even have used it in its 'Love Motel' incarnation. They often showed the motels with their names and signage in close-ups, almost unnecessarily. More often than not, they were also credited at episode's end.
Speaking of repeat TVB houses, I stumbled on a cringeworthy Andy Lau series today and another of the places TVB used from that mid-1980s era popped up. The other series I had seen before only showed the front gate and garden without much of the house itself. Well, today's episode involved a party on the grounds and the old Shaw House was visible. The early 1970s house was either demolished or radically altered after 2017.
Hi Rodney, yes, I pass this place basically almost every day but had never seen it beyond the previous, brown-tiled, love motel version. The key identifier here was 1a Cornwall Street at the back. Phil
I think this house in its love motel form was used in the opening episodes of Barbara Yung's last TV series, The Rough Ride. There was definitely a love motel because Tony Leung mistakes her for a hooker after she forces him to drive her there in his taxi.
Actually, Reddifusion might have filmed here as well when it was still a house. I'll check the ATV Youtube and see if I find it.
it appeared to be one of the better kept ones considering the utter decrepit appearance of some of them.
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